Get to Know Dr. Chatham
Dr. Donn R. Chatham is a facial plastic surgeon and has offices in Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana, just minutes away over the Ohio River. A native of Kentucky, Dr. Chatham received his undergraduate education from Georgetown College, graduating cum laude in 1971 with a major in psychology and minors in art and biology.
His initial medical training was at the University of Louisville School of Medicine graduating in 1978. After an internship and year of general surgery at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN, he entered into a residency in otolaryngology-head & neck surgery at the University of Tennessee, completing this in 1983.
He began a fellowship in facial plastic surgery with Dr Gaylon McCollough, and through the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, completing this in 1985. Dr Chatham later was elected president of the AAFPRS and served as president in 2008-09.
Dr. Chatham then returned to his home in Kentucky in 1985, beginning private practice with offices in Louisville and southern Indiana.
Dr. Chatham has always had an interest in art and the fine visual arts, beginning with an art minor in college. He continues to take painting, drawing, and sculpting courses and enjoys creating art as a hobby, as well as studying fine art at museums and galleries. The practice of facial plastic surgery is a combination of art, sculpture, beauty and science as well as psychology. Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is a natural application of these interests and talents.
Dr. Chatham participates in the volunteer program “Face-to-Face” sponsored by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery . He and other surgeons provide pro bono medical and surgical services to patients from the United States as a part of the “Domestic Violence” program and to patients in foreign countries as part of the “International” program. In 2009 Dr. Chatham was instrumental in helping the AAFPRS initiate its “Faces of Honor” pro bono program which offers facial reconstruction surgery to victims of war related injuries.
In 1996 and 1998, Dr. Chatham traveled with four other facial surgeons from around the country to Croatia as the Face-to-Face team. Both children with facial deformities and young men wounded as soldiers in the Balkan War were operated on. Dr. Chatham also has provided volunteer medical services to St Vincent’s Island in 1984, Guatemala in 1968, Borneo in 2009 and a mission trip to Ecuador in 2011.
Dr. Chatham values continuing medical education, and attends 4-5 educational meetings each year, and often speaks at these meetings. He has been active in leadership roles with the American Academy of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, with headquarters in Alexandria, VA. The AAFPRS with 2500 surgeon members, is the world’s largest specialty organization of facial plastic surgeons. Dr. Chatham is also board certified by two boards: (1) the American Board of Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and (2) the American Board of Otolaryngology. With an interest in teaching, Dr Chatham is clinical instructor with the University of Louisville Dept of Otolaryngology in Louisville, KY and has contributed chapters in facial plastic surgery textbooks. These include articles on ethics in facial plastic surgery, cosmetic surgery in the male patient, evaluation of preoperative patients, and recently edited a textbook titled “The Difficult Patient”.
Dr Chatham attributes his interest in medicine to his father, who was a family physician and his interest in fine arts to his mother, an accomplished concert pianist and composer.
Dr Chatham is married to Janet and they have 2 children. In his spare time he likes to hike at nearby Mt. Saint Francis, carve walking sticks and raise honeybees.
Call our office today at (502) 895-4820 Louisville, Kentucky ( KY) office or (812) 945-3223 New Albany, Indiana ( IN)office. Visit our plastic / cosmetic surgery offices located in Louisville, Kentucky ( KY) and New Albany, Indiana ( IN).
Education & Training
- Private Practice in Facial Plastic Surgery since 1985 in Louisville, Kentucky and New Albany, Indiana
- Fellowship with E. Gaylon McCollough, MD with the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery , Birmingham, Alabama 1984-1985
- Residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Tennessee, graduated 1983
- Surgical Internship Baptist Hospital, Memphis 1978-1980
- University of Louisville School of Medicine 1978
- Graduate of Georgetown College, cum laude, 1971 major: psychology, minors: art, biology
- Born in Louisville, Kentucky
Board Certification
Professional Affiliations
- Dr Chatham has surgical privileges in ten area hospitals and several surgery centers.
- He is a fellow of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery based in Washington, DC, and served on its Board of Directors from 1994-1997.
- He is a diplomat of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and served on its Board of Directors from 1992-1998.
- He is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. and a member of the Kentucky Medical Association, Indiana Medical Association, Jefferson County (Kentucky) Medical Society, American Medical Association, and served as president of the Floyd County (Indiana) Medical Society. He also serves as president of The Physicians of Southern Indiana, Inc., a 65-member physician organization. Dr Chatham has served as a clinical professor in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Louisville.
Continuing Education
Dr Chatham attends four to six professional seminars on latest techniques in facial plastic, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery each year, and usually presents a lecture at two of those meetings.
Other Activities
Dr Chatham participates in the volunteer organization “Face-to-Face” sponsored by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. He and other surgeons provide pro bono medical and surgical services to patients from the United States as a part of the “Domestic Violence” program and to patients in foreign countries as part of the “International” program. In 1996 Dr Chatham traveled with four other facial surgeons from around the country to Croatia as the Face-to-Face team. Both children with facial deformities and young men wounded as soldiers in the Balkan War were operated on. Dr Chatham also has provided volunteer medical services to St Vincent’s Island in 1984 and Guatemala in 1968.
Dr Chatham has always had an interest in art and the fine visual arts, beginning with an art minor in college. He continues to take painting, drawing, and sculpting courses and enjoys creating art as a hobby, as well as studying fine art at museums and galleries. The practice of facial plastic surgery is an combination of art, sculpture, beauty and science as well as psychology. Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery is a natural application of these interests and talents.
The Practice of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. Chatham practices in Kentucky ( KY) and Indiana ( IN)by maintaining an office in Louisville, Kentucky ( KY)and one in New Albany, Indiana ( IN) just minutes away over the Ohio River. Consultations are scheduled privately with each patient and usually last about one hour. The needs of each patient are evaluated and a facial analysis is presented to each patient, which includes a skin analysis. Sometimes a computer video imager is used to demonstrate possible surgical changes when Dr. Chatham believes this will be helpful. Photographs are taken of each patient’s face and recommendations are made to each patient regarding possible surgical options, and a discussion of the procedures , limitations, alternatives and risks are discussed in detail. Not every patient is a good candidate for facial surgery , and sometimes the recommendation is not to proceed with surgery. Some patients also benefit from beginning an ongoing skin maintenance program, much of which is performed at home. For surgical patients, financial quotes are given. Once surgery is scheduled, a decision will be made as to the optimal site for that patient in view of the type of surgery planned. Sometimes surgery is performed in the in-office surgical suite. Sometimes an outpatient surgery facility is selected. Sometimes an outpatient-based hospital is selected. Sometimes patients return home following surgery, some stay at a nearby hotel overnight, and others may stay overnight in a private room in the hospital. For privacy and a variety of good reasons, many patients elect to have their more involved surgery at Floyd Memorial Hospital in New Albany, Indiana (IN).